Furnace-door.



"Q -552,294 Patented :une 2e, mou.

J. P. SHAFER.

FURNACE 000B.

(Application led Oct. 4, 1899.

(No Modei.)

g ATENT FFIQE..

JAooB P. sIIAFER, or TERRA ALTA, wEs-T VIRGINIA, AssIeNoR on ONE IIALETo WILLIAM II. MoKNIGI-IT, on SAME PLACE.

FuRemera-DOOR.f

sPEcIEIcATIoN forming pafejof Letters Patent No. 652,294, dated June 2s,1900. Application filed October 4, 1899. Serial No. 732,536 (No model.)

T0 a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J'AcoB P. SHAFER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Terra Alta, in the county of Preston and State of WestVirginia, have invented a new and useful Furnace-Door, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in furnace-doors.

The objects of the present invention are to improve the construction offurnace-doors for locomotives, stationary engines, and the like and toprovide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient device capable of enablinga furnace-door to be readily opened and closed by the foot of theoperator, so that his hands will be left perfectly free for supplyingfuel, whereby the same may be quickly placed in the nre-box, therebyeffecting a great saving in labor, time, fuel, and heat.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion ot thefront wall of a furnace provided with a door constructed inac-V cordancewith this invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same.

Like numerals of reference designate c0r responding parts in bothfigures of the draw-A ings. Y

1 designates an opening formed in the front wall 2 of afurnace andcommunicating with the fire-box and adapted to permit fuel to beintroduced into the same whenl a pivoted door 3 is swung upward, asillustrated in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings. The opening 1 islifted, and the vertically-swing` ing door 3, which is approximatelyrectangular, is provided withfa conveXly-curved edge Il at its outer endand is pivoted at its inner end near its upper edge by a bolt 5er othersuitable fastening device. The curved free edge of the pivoted door issupported by a curved guide 6, arranged concentric with the pivot 5 andforming a groove 7 at its inner edge for the reception of the free endof the door, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1 of the accompanyingdrawings. The door is supported in its closed position by a` horizontalledge 8, located a short distance below the bottom of the openingl andprovided with. a series of apertures 9, adapted to permit the escape ofcoal crushed by the falling of the door. Should any particles of coalremain on the ledge, the door in falling will crush the same and thedust will escape through the said apertures 9. The flange and the ledgemay consist of a frame bolted or otherwise secured to the wall of thefurnace and provided with upper and lower vertical portions or'flanges10 and 11, the upper flange 11 forming a stop for the door when thelatter is open and the lower flange serving to incase the edge of thedoor when the same is closed. The door is provided with a weighted coun;terbalancing-arm 12, extending horizontally from the upper portion ofthe inner end of said door when the latter is closed and designed to beweighted to Within a few pounds of the weight of the door, so that thelatter may be opened easily by the means hereinafter described and willclose quickly when released by the operator. The weighted coun'-terbalancingarm, which is 'approximately segmental, is provided at itsouter end with a knob 13, and it has a lower straight edge which isadapted to be engaged by a pivoted arm or button 14, whereby the door islocked against movement. The arm or button 14 is pivoted at one end at15, and it is adapted when the door is closed to be swung upward beneaththe outer end of the counterbalaneing-arm, as illustrated in Fig. 2 ofthe accompanying drawings, whereby the door is locked in its closedposition. The weighted arm is provided at its outer end with anextension 16, and when the door is opened the pivoted button is adaptedto engage the said extension, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the`accompanying drawings. f

The door is opened by means of a treadle 17, which is connected with itby a rod 18. The treadle, which is adapted to be readily depressed bythe foot of the operator,is mounted upon a horizontal flange or ledge19, located at the bottom of the front wall of the furnace, and the saidtreadle is composed of IOO sections 2O and 21, having their outer endsslotted or bifurcated at 22 and 23 for the reception of'headed pins orstuds 24 and 25, which are adapted to prevent the treadle from gettingout of position when a train is running rapidly. The inner end ot' thesection 20 is reduced to form a tongue 25, which fits in a recess orbifurcation 26 of the inner end of the section 21, and the lower end ofthe rod 18 is bent at an angle to form a pivot 27,Which passes throughthe inner ends of the sections of the tread le and forms a pintle forthe same. The upper end 28 of the rod 18 is bifurcated and pivoted tothe inner portion of the counterbalancing-arm adjacent to the pivot 5.When the treadle vis depressed, the door is quickly opened, and as soonas the foot of the operator is removed from it the door drops quicklyback toits closed position and is open only a short time and While thefuel is being actually introduced into the furnace.

The door is provided with perforations 29 to prevent it from warping andalso to fur-v nish light at night, and it has a supplemental door 30,adapted to cover an opening 31 of the door 3 and designed to be openedfor raking or poking the furnace. The door 30 is supported by a curvedguide or flange 32, having vertical and horizontal extensions 33 and 34and adapted to support the door and prevent the same from warping. Thefree edge of the door 30 is beveled to fit the groove formed by thefiange 32, and the horizontal extension thereof is provided With anaperture 35 to permit the escape of any dust or ashes accumulating onthe horizontal flange 34. The vertical ange 33 forms a stop for thedoor, which is provided With an arm 36, having a perforation for thepivot 37 and adapted to be engaged by a pivoted button 38 to hold thedoor in its open and closed positions. The arm 36 is provided with aknob 39, and the knobs 13 and 39 are adapted to be readily grasped whenit is desired to open the doors by hand.

It will be seen that the furnace-door is simple and comparativelyinexpensive in construction, that it is adapted to be quickly opened andclosed by the foot of the operator, and that it Will effect a saving intime, labor, fuel, and heat. It will also be seen that the door 3 inclosing will crush any coal accumulating on the ledge 8 and that thedust Will escape through the openings or apertures 9.

Changes in the form, proportion, size, and the minor details ofconstruction Within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted toWithout departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantagesof this invention.

What is claimed is- 1. In adevice of the class described, thecombination with a furnace, of a door pivoted dat against one end of thefurnace and arranged to oscillate across the same and provided with arigid counterbalancing-arm extending beyond the pivot, and operatingmechanism connected With the rigid arm and adapted to open and close thedoor, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination With a furnace,of a door pivoted fiat against the adjacent Wall of the furnace andarranged to oscillate on the same and provided With a rigidcounterbalancing-arm, and a treadle connected With the arm and composedof two sections, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination With a furnace,of a door pivoted at against the adjacent Wall of the furnace andarrangedto oscillate on the same and provided With a rigidcounterbalancing-arm extending from one end of it, operating mechanismfor opening the door, and a pivoted locking device arranged to engagethe arm, whereby the door is held in its open and closed positions,substantially as described.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination With a furnace,of a door pivoted iiat against the adjacent wall of the same andarranged to oscillate thereon, and provided With an arm arrangedparallel With the said Wall, and a treadle extending along the bottom ofthe said Wall and composed of sections connected with the said arm,substantially as described.

5. In a device of the'class described, the combination with a furnace,of a door pivoted at one end to the same and provided with a rigidcounterbalancingarm extending beyond the pivot, said door having itsfree end provided with a curved edge, a curved guide mounted on thefurnace and receiving the free end of the door, and operating mechanismconnected With the arm, substantially as described.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination With a furnacehaving a curved guide and provided with a horizontal supporting-ledgehaving apertures, of a pivoted door mounted on the furnace and providedWith a rigid counterbalancing-arm, and operating mechanism connectedwith the arm, substantially as described.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination with a furnaceprovided at the bottom of its opening with a supportingledge havingapertures, of a .pivoted door mounted on the furnace and arranged toswing vertically, said door being arranged to strike the ledge, wherebyany coal remaining on the same Will be crushed and caused to escapethrough the apertures, substantially as described.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination with a furnace,and a pivoted door provided with an arm, of a treadle composed of twosections provided at their outer ends with slots, pins arranged in theslots and retaining the treadle in position, and a rod IIO connectedwith the arm and with the inner ends of the sections, substantially asdescribed.

9. In a device of the class described, the

i combination with a furnace, of a door pivoted flat against theadjacent Wall thereof and arranged to oscillate thereon, and having anopening, a supplemental door pivoted flat against the main door andarranged to oscillate thereon to cover and uncover the open ing, and aiiange or bar mounted on the main door and forming a curved gni-dereceiving and supporting the supplemental door, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

JACOB P. SIIA'IEER.

\Vitnesses:

T. L. RIGG, O. C. CRANE.

